RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving a chemotherapy drug before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it can be removed; giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving chemotherapy before and after surgery is more effective than giving chemotherapy after surgery in treating ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cavity cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase II/III trial is studying how well giving chemotherapy before and after surgery works and compares it to giving chemotherapy after surgery alone in treating patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cavity cancer.

A Randomized Feasibility Trial to Determine the Impact of Timing of Surgery and Chemotherapy in Newly Diagnosed Patients With Advanced Epithelial Ovarian, Primary Peritoneal or Fallopian Tube Carcinoma

Quality of life by Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 Items (QLQ-C30) and QLQ-ovarian cancer (QLQ-OV28) [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment:

150

Study Start Date:

September 2003

Detailed Description:

OBJECTIVES:

Determine the feasibility of a randomized trial to determine the impact of the timing of surgery and chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, pilot, multicenter study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

Arm I (primary surgery): Patients undergo radical surgery. Within 6 weeks after primary surgery, patients receive chemotherapy comprising carboplatin alone or in combination with paclitaxel or another chemotherapy agent on day 1. Chemotherapy repeats every 3 weeks for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients may undergo interval debulking surgery after the third course of chemotherapy.

Arm II (neoadjuvant chemotherapy): Patients receive chemotherapy as in arm I for 3 courses. Within 3 weeks after chemotherapy, patients undergo radical surgery. Within 6 weeks after surgery, patients receive an additional 3 courses of chemotherapy as in arm I.

Patients are followed at 9 months after randomization, every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 100-150 patients will be accrued for this study within 18 months.

Clinical and imaging evidence of a pelvic mass with extrapelvic metastases within the past 4 weeks

Serum CA 125/CEA ratio > 25

Plans to receive carboplatin-based chemotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

Adult

Performance status

Not specified

Life expectancy

Not specified

Hematopoietic

Not specified

Hepatic

Not specified

Renal

Not specified

Other

Considered fit to undergo protocol treatment and follow-up

No other prior or concurrent malignancy that would preclude study treatment or comparisons

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

Not specified

Chemotherapy

See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy

Not specified

Radiotherapy

Not specified

Surgery

Not specified

Contacts and Locations

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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00075712